Plumstead Electrical, Cape Town’s leading independent wholesale supplier of premium branded electrical goods, celebrates its 50th birthday in April. The family-run business was founded by Sandy Gold in 1968 with the vision of being the best electrical wholesaler and lighting supplier in Cape Town. After 50 years this vision has been realised and continues to this day.

The last half a century has seen tremendous growth in the company, which started as a simple appliance repair and electrical contracting service run by Sandy and his wife Joan on Main Road, Plumstead. They expanded into electrical wholesaling in the 80s and in the early 90s, Sandy’s son, Bruce, who studied electrical engineering, joined the company. Soon after, his youngest son, Glenn, joined after studying accounting.

This new leadership model saw Plumstead Electrical expand its Main Road premises. However, after an electrical fire claimed the electrical wholesaling division, they were forced to look further afield for a new location to house the ever- expanding business. This is when they moved to their current location on Main Road, Diep River, allowing them to relocate their electrical wholesale division, followed by the lighting showroom relaunch next door to the electrical division a few years later.

By 2004, the company had expanded even further into the Northern suburbs of Cape Town and opened Okavango Electrical Wholesalers. In 2010, it moved to its current premises in Tarentaal Crescent, showcasing a state-of-the-art lighting showroom. The counters for this shop were built by the then retired Sandy Gold and are still in use in the shop today.

To realise its vision of servicing the entire Cape Town region, the company expanded even further into the West Coast area by opening Atlantic Electrical Wholesalers in January 2017. In the year it has been open, it has grown tremendously and has outperformed expectations.

Even though the company is 150 people strong, it still remains a tightknit family business, with many staff having been with the company for over 20 years. At the helm are the three directors; Bruce Gold – MD, Glenn Gold – Financial Director and Morne Vermeulen – Operations Director, who have continued the legacy that Sandy started. Sadly, Sandy passed away in 2008, but he would be proud of the growth and success the company has achieved.

Plumstead Electrical Wholesalers is an Electrobase Member (it is the exclusive distributors of the Synerji Electrical range in South Africa) and the company is proud to partner with some of the best international and local brands.